(1) Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electric hotplate for the use in cooking appliances, cookers, hobs or the like and more particularly to the fastening of a covering sheet for the underside of the hotplate and to the mounting of the hotplate to a cooking applicance.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In applicants' U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,122,330 and 4,153,833 it is shown to screw a threaded bolt into a central pin of the hotplate member and to fix the covering sheet in position by means of a nut screwed thereon. Therefore, two threading operations are required. Moreover, the threaded bolt protrudes some way out of the hotplate, with the result that the packed dimensions are twice as large as the entire height of the hotplate and, furthermore, for transporting, adjacent hotplates have to be axially offset so as not to increase the packing dimensions still further. The protruding part of the threaded bolt is intended to attach the hotplate to a bracket by means of another nut screwed on, by which the hotplate is clamped downwardly.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,691,719 shows additionally a tubular washer between the two nuts engaging the covering sheet and the bracket.